Finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs
Our business
We operate in 35 countries where our 60,000 employees are working to find better ways to provide the materials the world needs
Our purpose in action
Continuous improvement and innovation are part of our DNA
Innovation
The need for innovation is greater than ever
We supply the metals and minerals used to help the world grow and decarbonise
Iron Ore
The primary raw material used to make steel, which is strong, long-lasting and cost-efficient
Lithium
The lightest of all metals, it is a key element needed for low-carbon technologies
Copper
Tough but malleable, corrosion-resistant and recyclable, and an excellent conductor of heat and transmitter of electricity
Bringing to market materials critical to urbanisation and the transition to a low-carbon economy
Oyu Tolgoi
One of the most modern, safe and sustainable operations in the world
Rincon Project
A long-life, low-cost and low-carbon lithium source
Simandou Project
The world’s largest untapped high-grade iron ore deposit
Providing materials the world needs in a responsible way
Climate Change
We’re targeting net zero emissions by 2050
Nature solutions
Our nature-based solutions projects complement the work we're doing to reduce our Scope 1 and 2 emissions
Enabling ESG transparency
Our STARTâ„¢ initiative tracks traceability and responsible production of ÌÇÐÄvlogÈë¿Úmaterials.
We aim to deliver superior returns to our shareholders while safeguarding the environment and meeting our obligations to wider society
Reports 2024
Download our 2024 suite of reports, including our 2024 Taxes and Royalties Paid Report, detailing $8.4 billion of taxes and royalties paid globally during the year
Get the latest news, stories and updates
Things You Can't Live Without
Our podcast discussing what needs to happen to create a sustainable future for the everyday items we have come to rely on
Refuelling the mining industry
How can we power the world’s biggest machines with new fuel solutions?
Forging a low-carbon future
How we're working to decarbonise iron ore and steel
Discover more about life at Rio Tinto
Graduates and students
If you want to drive real change, we have just the place to do it
Empowering families with flexibility
Supporting new parents of any gender with equal access to parental leave
Available jobs
Join our team
Aluminium undergoes a huge transformation from a red bauxite rock to the metal found everywhere in life.
It’s mined, refined and smelted. It travels on trucks and ships – sometimes thousands of kilometres. And finally, it’s shaped into everything from cans to cars. So, through all of that, how can you be confident the product you’ve just bought was made responsibly?
Understanding – and being able to trace – the full process is important as more and more consumers seek out products made sustainably. In fact, suggests ethical and sustainability issues are a key driver for almost a third of consumers.
People want to know more about the products they buy, where they come from and how they were made. This is true for food, clothes – and our products are no exception.
To help our customers – and the consumers who buy their products – make informed decisions, we need to provide increased transparency and traceability across our entire supply chain.
So we created – a digital platform that provides traceable, transparent information about our products. START began with aluminium and is now expanding to cover more materials, including copper cathode and metal powders.
START™ is a supply chain traceability, transparency and assurance digital initiative, helping our customers and end users make better material choices with ease.
As part of our offering, we provide a START™ label to our customers, similar to a nutrition label, that captures the sustainability and provenance credentials of our materials across up to 14 ESG metrics, providing transparency on where and how materials were made.
Like a “nutrition label”, key information is provided across 14 criteria from mine to market:
More
Global warming potential, water management, energy source, air emissions, biodiversity, recycled content, land management, waste management, safety performance, contribution to communities, supplier due diligence, ethics and compliance training, whistleblowing programs and diversity.
You can see where your materials come from, how they were made, and the environmental, social and governance standards followed during their production.
We collect the information used in START for our annual sustainability reporting.
Each of our sites provides data that is verified by our subject matter experts, and then reviewed by Health, Safety, Environment & Security and Communities & Social Performance teams as a second line of assurance. Our Board’s Sustainability Committee then reviews and signs it off, before an external auditor assures the greenhouse gas emissions information.
START builds on our existing assurance systems, like ASI and Copper Mark.
With increased scrutiny on the origin of materials and on climate change, we believe START will help customers respond to growing consumer expectations. Our goal is to demonstrate to customers and consumers that our responsibly produced and traceable products are the right materials for their needs.